Naija Traffic wardens in Kwara State recently protested the failure of the Nigeria Police to increase their salaries as well as their lack of promotions for over 13 years. The protest brought to fore, the age-long disparity that exists between traffic wardens and other police officers, Daily Trust reports.
The Traffic Warden Service was established in 1975 as a section of the Nigeria Police Force charged with the task of discharging functions in connection with the control and regulation of, or the enforcement of the law relating to road traffic under the direction of the Police.
These personnel of the Nigeria Police daily risk their lives at various intersections in towns and cities to ensure the free flow of traffic.
But instead of being motivated and rewarded for their good works in ensuring sanity on the Nigerian roads, they are rather faced with marginalization and discrimination when it comes to promotions and pay increase as compared to their counterparts in the regular Police Force.
In Kaduna, our correspondent observed that the plight of the traffic wardens is worsening by the day without any significant improvement in their well being.
Following their plights, the wardens called on the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to create the Department of Warden Services under the Nigeria Police Force to ensure improvement in their conditions of service as well as better service delivery.
Daily Trust Saturday further gathered from some of the traffic wardens in the state that they have not been promoted in their 13 years of service.
According to the wardens, most of whom are within the rank of corporals, lamented that their colleagues in the police have been promoted to the rank of inspectors while they have remained on the same rank for over a decade.
They described the situation as “a serious marginalization.”
“My mates who are in the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) are now inspectors while I am still a corporal. It is after the protest that took place in Kwara State by traffic wardens over the failure of the Nigeria Police to increase salaries and lack of promotions for over 13 years that we received signal of our promotion to sergeant rank.
“I have been in service for 13 years yet, I am still a corporal or should I say soon to be a sergeant.
“Since I came into service, this is my first promotion”, the warden said.
He said some of his colleagues on General Duties have since been promoted to inspector rank and wondered why there is a disparity between police and traffic wardens, saying, “We are all under the same service.
“Since I joined the service, my salary has never been increased,” he said.
Asked if their salaries are paid on time, he said, “I just received October’s salary about a week ago, in November; I have had to depend on the various loans available to take care of the needs of my family and so, when the salary comes, it is used to pay off loans and another is taken.”
“Our ranks are supposed to go together with our colleagues in the police but I do not know why ours is being frustrated and then our colleagues become our seniors,” he stated.
He called on the government to look into their plight and ensure prompt promotion of traffic wardens as well as give them leadership positions at Force Headquarters and at state levels.
Another traffic warden in the state who also pleaded for anonymity said, “With the way traffic wardens are being treated, I am scared the younger generation will not want to do the job.”
She called on the government to reform the system by increasing wardens’ salaries, ensuring prompt promotions and more recruitment to salvage the profession.
In the same vein, Traffic Wardens working in Cross River State have decried what they described as total neglect, poor pay as well as the humiliation they suffer daily.
Few of them who spoke to our correspondent said they are being discriminated against, especially in the area of promotion.
They also lamented that they were not given uniforms, footwear, hand gloves and berets to work with, adding that they usually buy them from the open markets from their meager salaries.
A warden who controls vehicular traffic in many parts of Calabar said, “My set passed out from training college with the General Duties (policemen) in 2007.
“But ever since, they have continued to deny us promotion whereas, the regular policemen have enjoyed more promotions thus becoming our seniors.
“We have made several representations regarding our promotion but we are always rebuffed.
“We have suffered so much. We are paid pittance. There has been no increment since then.
“We buy our uniforms often from the same very poor pay.
“People mock us because the salaries are not enough to take care of us and our families.”
The wardens said they do not really have problems with the state police command but their problems are at the federal level.
They appealed to the police High Command to promote them to be at par with their general duties counterparts.
When contacted, the Police PRO in the state, Irene Ugbo said she did not have much information regarding the issues but believes that that something was being done about the wardens’ welfare and pay.
In Nasarawa, some of the wardens who spoke with our correspondent in Lafia said they are not enjoying the benefits their counterparts in the police are enjoying.
They said they were happy that their counterparts have demonstrated in Kwara and brought their plights to the front burner.
Those operating in Karu LGA of the state which is a stone’s throw from Abuja also complained of neglect by the authorities.
When contacted, the Police spokesman in the state, ASP Ramhan Nansel said that the Police Force Spokesperson, DCP, Frank Mba was the right person to be contacted on the matter.
Also, traffic wardens attached to the Lagos State Police Command are appealing to the police authority to consider them during promotions.
The traffic officers also want a review of their salaries, saying that their pay had remain the same in the last two decades
The officers, who do not want their names mentioned for fear of victimization, wondered why they were not often considered in the scheme of affairs by the police authority.
“We are treated like outcasts even though we offer essential services.
“We resume as early as 7am controlling traffic and close as late as 8pm yet, the police authority doesn’t find us worthy to be considered for promotion.
They appealed to the Minister of Police Affairs to look into their plight.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, could not be reached on phone for comment as calls and text messages to his phone were not answered nor returned.
But a senior police officer, who also does not want his name mentioned, said the promotion of policemen is done at the headquarters and not at the command level.
When contacted for reactions, the spokesperson of the Police Service Commission, Ikechukwu Ani, who did not answer several calls put across to his mobile phone by one of our correspondents, responded via Whatsapp .
“Please, I don’t have any comment. I am currently on leave and out of Abuja,” he wrote.
